Salt-grainer



(No Model.) v

T. GRANBY.

SALT GRAINER. l No. 305,152. Patented Sept. 16, l58811.

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IINITED STATES PATENT Clarion..

A THOMAS CRANEY, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

SALT-GRAINER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,152, dated September 16, 1884.

Application tiled March Q6, 1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnoiuns CRANEY, of Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Salt-Grainers; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, referenee'being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a device for removing the salt from the'grainer Vand carrying it to its place of deposit; and the invention con# sists, first, in the use of buckets in combination with an endless carrier which carries the buckets through the grainer in such. manner that the buckets will scoop up the salt from the bottom of the grainer; second, in the peculiar construction of the buckets which allows of the draining off of the salt; and, thirdly, in the arrangement of the endless carrier in combina tion with devices for carrying the salt to its place of deposit,or to the conveyer, and dump it there from the buckets.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section through a grainer` provided with my device for collecting and carrying the salt. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a crosssection of the same on line a: x.

A is an evaporating-pan, or so-ealled grainer,7 of known construction.

B is a horizontal coil of steam-pipesplaced at or near the bottom of the grainer, and provided with a steam inlet and outlet,as shown.

C are endless chains passing overa system of sprocketwheels, D, which are supported in any convenient manner, so that the chains are free to travel in a vertical plane on each side of the grainer. Two corresponding sprocketwheels are connected with a shaft, E, by means of which motionis communicated to the chains from any source of power. The lower stretches of the chains are supported and travel upon horizontal stringers F,which are on or about on alevel and outside and parallel'to the sides of the grainer. The upper stretches of the chains may be supported in a like manner.`

GrV is a cross-bar secured upon its ends to the chains C.

H H are a series of scoopsjor buckets,either to fit in the spaces between the steam-pipes i `and the steam-pipes and the sides of the grainer. The steam pipes are preferably placed as near to the bottom as convenient, and upon their sides they are provided with deflect.- ors K, by means of which the salt, when precipitated to the bottom of the grainer, is collected between the pipes. ofthe grainer are provided with or form inclined planes L,to allow the chains when in motion'to freely carry the scoops'into and out of the grainer.

To preventthe scoops producing impurities in the salt, owing` to abrasion by wearing on the bottom of the grainer, I prefer to iiX a shoe, M, on `either end of the series of scoops, so that they may be madeto travel upon the sides of the grainer andlift the scoops slightly oft from the bottom.

In practicea slow and continuous motion is communicated to the chai ns,which slowly drag the scoops through the brine. This motion produces the required agitation, and the scoops at the same time collect all the precipitated salt. In striking the incline at the rear end of the grainer the scoops, together with the collected salt, are carried out ofthe brine, and,owing t0 the change of direction inthe run of the chains C, the scoops are now vertically suspended from the cross-bar G, and are carried in this position toward the other end. Vhile they are thus carried slowly overhead the grainer the brine in the scoops has ample time to drain ot'f through the perforation in the scoops. As soon as the scoops or the arms by means ofwhichthey are pivoted to the crossbar strike the shaft E, they are arrested in their motion, and, owing to the downward changein the direction ofthe moving chains, they are forced to vault over the shaft E. A bar, O, so placed across their path that the scoops will strike it before they have completed their vault,will so forcibly arrest them that the salt is completely shaken or dumped out of them, falling either on a plat- One or both ends,

IOO

form underneath or direct into the conveyertrough. The continued motion of the chains then carries the scoops again into the grainer, and their operation begins anew.

It is clear that t-he length of the carriers C is not limited by the length of the grainer. In fact they may be made long enough to carry the salt to any distance in the direction of the grainer. Thus the device constitutes a saltcarrier, andthe collecting of the salt of awhole salt-block may thus be carried on wholly by mechanical devices, doing away with a great deal of manuallabor now required. If one system of scoops for one grainer is not found sui ficient, two or more may be used, accordingto its length, Vand it is immaterial whether the scoops secured toeone cross-bar G are connected together or whether they are individually pivoted; or they may be secured to separate crossbars distributed along the chains,so as to make the load upon the chains more even.

I am well aware that the system herein described may be easily modified in regard to the arrangement of the carrier-chains, as one, two, or more maybe used to effect theproper movement of the scoops or buckets, still Iprefer the use of two chains or ropes arranged upon either side of thcgrainer and outside thereof, as there is less liability for iron-rust or other impurities to fall into the grainer.

The detlectors Ii are of great Yservice to prevent the scoops from rubbing against the steam-pipes.

What I claim as my invention isw l l. In a device for collecting and carrying 3 5 the salt from the grainers, the combination of a system of scoops with an endless carrier so arranged that the scoops can enter into the grainer at one end, and,after scooping the salt from its bottom,leave the grainer at the other 4o end, and carry the salt to a place of deposit at the end of the grainer at which they entered, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device for collecting and carrying the Salt from the grainers,in combination with 4 5 a series of scoops pivotally secured to endless carriers, the bar O,placed in the path traveled by said scoops, constructed and arranged to arrest their motion as they are passing over one of their supporting-shafts, whereby a jar 5o is given to the scoops to dump their contents, substantially as described.

3. In a device for collecting and carrying the salt from the grainer, substantially as de scribed, theendless carriers C, provided with 55 scoopsD, constructed to Ycollect the salt from the bottomy of the grainer and carry it over the grainer to the end of the grainer at which they entered, said scoops being provided with perforated bottoms to allow the brine to drain 6o off, substantially as and forthepurpose speci` fied.

TI-IOS. CRANEY.

Titnessesi H. S. SrRAGUn, E. SCULLY. 

